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Tag: snapshat

  • Snapchat’s improved Android app has paid off big time

    Snapchat’s improved Android app has paid off big time

    Starting back in 2018, messaging app Snapchat started revising its Android app and the results have been amazing. For the first time, during the first quarter of 2021, the number of the app’s Android users exceeded the number of its iOS users. Snapchat’s Android app was slow and the update made it run faster while improving key features like Lenses.<

    Also helping the Android version of Snapchat gain traction, parent company Snap added more content geared toward certain countries and started to support more languages outside the U.S. where Android users handily exceed those using an iPhone. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel called the swap between Android and iOS users "a critical milestone that reflects the long-term value of the investment we made to rebuild our Android application."

    Additionally, for the first time since going public, Snap recorded a quarter with positive cash flow ($126 million versus negative cash flow of $95 million during the same quarter last year).

    In March, Snapchat launched "Phone Swap India" on its Discover section. That is where original programming and shows created by the app's media partners can be found. The number of Daily Active Users (DAU) rose to 280 million in Q1, a 22% annual hike, and 4.7 million users above analyst expectations of 275.3 million.

    Revenue during the period from January through March 2021 rose a stunning 66% to $770 million topping Wall Street estimates of $743 million. Snap's net loss came to $286.9 million from $305.9 million during the same quarter last year. The first-quarter net loss was 19 cents a share improving slightly from the 21 cents a share of red ink Snap reported during last year's first quarter.

    For the current quarter which ends in June, Snap Chief Financial Officer Derek Andersen says to expect a revenue gain of 80% to 85% with 290 million DAUs. CEO Spiegel said in a statement that "Augmented reality remains one of our biggest opportunities as we look to the future." Just last month the company purchased Fit Analytics, a company that uses AR to determine virtually if clothes will fit.

    Snap's shares soared on Friday, the day after the report was released. The stock closed at $61.30 up 7.39% or $4.22. A year ago, Snap was trading under $17.

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  • Snapchat removes racist Juneteenth Lens, says that it wasn’t approved

    Snapchat removes racist Juneteenth Lens, says that it wasn’t approved

    This past Friday, June 19th, the U.S. recognized Juneteenth. It is a holiday that celebrates the emancipation of those who were enslaved in the United States. In the wake of the social protests that took place in the U.S. following the murder of George Floyd, no U.S. company was spared for any branding or product that could be considered insensitive in terms of race. That is why products like Mrs. Butterworth, Uncle Ben’s, and other iconic brands are being replaced.

    A major faux pas was committed by messaging app Snapchat which was forced to remove a racially insensitive Lens it created for Juneteenth. The filter showed the Pan-African flag in the background and prompted users to smile. This would lead to the image of a chain appearing in the background; the chain would then break. A spokesman from Snapchat parent Snap said in a statement, “We deeply apologize to the members of the Snapchat community who found this Lens offensive. A diverse group of Snap team members was involved in developing the concept, but a version of the Lens that went live for Snapchatters this morning had not been approved through our review process. We are investigating why this mistake occurred so that we can avoid it in the future.”

    A Twitter user by the name of Mark S. Luckie disseminated a tweet revealing what the Lens looked like before it was removed. Snapchat Lens use augmented reality (AR) to add animation to a photo of the user’s face. For example, a Snapchat user can turn into a dog with droopy cartoon ears and a nose. Or, the user can turn into a dancing bunny. There isn’t anything offensive about those (unless you really are a dog or a rabbit).

    Investors were pleased to see the racist Lens removed from Snapchat. On Friday, with most stocks giving up ground, SNAP rose over 3% to $22.66 a share. Snapchat is available in the App Store for iOS users and the Google Play Store for Android users.

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  • Spotify announces Snapchat integration, lets users share music

    Spotify announces Snapchat integration, lets users share music

    Spotify has announced integration with Snapchat, which will allow users to seamlessly share what they’re listening to in a Snap story. The update that brings integration with Snapchat will enable Spotify users who have the social app installed to share their favorite tracks, playlists, albums, and podcasts.

    Sharing Spotify content to Snapchat is quite easy and can be done in four steps:

    • Tap the “share” menu while you’re listening to any song, album, artist, or podcats.
    • Select “Snapchat” from the dropdown list.
    • Snapchat will open a new Snap with the full album art included.
    • Edit and send to how many people you want or to your Story.

    Keep in mind that if a friend sends you a Snap with a song, playlist, artist profile, or podcast rec included, you will be able to stream by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, tap the context card with song, artist, playlist, or podcast info, and then simply waiting for Spotify to open and play the content.

    Spotify integration with Snapchat will be available on both Android and iOS devices in the coming days, so keep an eye out for a new update for either of the two mobile platforms.

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  • Snapchat announces Snap Games and Snap Originals programs

    Snapchat announces Snap Games and Snap Originals programs

    Snap, the company behind the Snapchat social network and services, announced earlier today a host of new features that will come to its mobile apps in the coming weeks. During its Snap Partner Summit, the social network company revealed two new programs that will be available to all Snapchat users, Snap Games, and Snap Originals.

    Another major announcement concerns important improvements to the popular Snap Lenses. Also, a new set of development tools grouped together as Snap Kit, which will allow developers to include Snapchat functionality directly in their apps. But let’s start with the first major feature that Snapchat users will be given access to very soon: Snap Games. The new feature will be available right from the Chat bar within the Snapchat app on Android and iOS devices.

    What’s really interesting about Snap Games is that you won’t have to install anything. Also, you’ll be able to see all your friends who are playing games, send them a message, play with them instantly and even talk like with voice chat.

    Initially, Snap Games will be available with six mobile games: Bitmoji Party, Tiny Royale, Snake Squad, C.A.T.S. Drift Race, Zombie Rescue Squad, and Alphabear Hustle. Since Snap Games will begin rolling out for Android smartphones and iPhones today, you can expect to be able to check out the new feature very soon.

    Snapchat starts offering original shows watchable on the go

    Snap Originals is a series of shows such as documentaries, comedies, and teen dramas, which, as the name suggests, will be original. Snap also mentions that this original content will clearly stand out from the rest because of the way they’re told: “they’re personal, intimate, and made for the way you use your phone today.”

    No less than 10 shows will be available at launch for those who want to check out Snap Originals: Two Sides, Can’t Talk Now, Sneakerheads, Commanders, Denton’s Death Date, While Black, BuzzFeed, Dead of Night, Compton Dreams, and Stranded with Sam and Colby.

    The new Snap Originals will be available starting this week, but more series will be added in the coming months. Remember that you can watch these shows anywhere you are directly from your smartphone, as long as you have access to the internet.

    Snapchat Lenses get upgraded to the next level

    As far as the Lenses go, Snap announced that in just over a year after the feature was made available to users, more than 400,000 Lenses have been created by the Snapchat community. Moreover, users have played over 15 billion times with these Lenses.

    To advance Lenses to the next level, Snap announced the addition of Creator Profiles, a new way to help Lens Creators to showcase their work and learn more about their audience.

    Also, Snap introduced an easier method to find the right Lenses when you need them. Simply press and hold on your camera screen to scan the world around you. For example, you can scan a math problem to get the answer, or a product to see it listed on Amazon and learn about its price. You can even scan your dog to give it glasses, or a song to see who sings it.

    Last but not least, Lens Studio has been updated to include more templates for those creators who prefer augmented reality over traditional Lenses, including Landmarkers. The update adds new templates for hand-tracking, body-tracking, and more, which can be used to create Lenses that might pop up when Snapchat users use Scan.
    But there are more changes coming to Snapchat, such as App Stories, which allow users to share content directly from the Snapchat camera to a Story inside another app. And for creators, there are a few new kits that will allow them to share their custom stickers from their favorite services directly on a Snap.

    The Creative Kit, Bitmoji Kit, and Ad Kit are now available for creators, each allowing Snapchat users to interact easier than ever with customized Snaps.

    As mentioned earlier, all features announced today by Snap will be available starting this week, but some Snap Originals shows will go live in the coming months.

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